How fast do you wanna go? How much do you wanna spend? We were eager to see what kind of performance is available from a single V8 sterndrive pushing the smallest hull capable of running offshore. There are no ill-handling bass boats here.

We ended up testing four representative 5-passenger runabouts, all between 20 and 25 ft. long, all weighing between 3000 and 3500 pounds, all powered by a production Mercruiser V8 and Bravo 1 sterndrive. Sizewise, consider them to be the entry tickets into the muscle boat club.

Baja 20 Outlaw

At just under $25,000, Baja's smallest Outlaw is well-made, nicely finished and while not lavishly equipped, has everything you need for a play boat that can tow a couple of skiers or carry five adults to 62 mph. The large area under the forward deck is finished off as a convenient storage area. Mercruiser's fuel-injected 5.0 MPI is built around a General Motors 305-cu.-in. small-block V8, so it should be economical to run--and bulletproof.

The lightweight Outlaw had a very wet and bumpy ride. At 40 mph in a short chop, everyone on board found their sunglasses obscured by salt spray within a few minutes. And despite having a hull configuration visually similar to the other boats in this group, the 20 Outlaw was like riding a bucking bronco whether there were five passengers or just the captain aboard. A windshield and accessory trim tabs might make all the difference.

The Stingray's hull, a patented design called Z-plane developed by legendary boatbuilder Bob Walwork, is incredibly smooth and stable. Whether running straight and true or carving a tight turn, from idle to 65 mph, it's totally predictable. This is one of the best small-boat monohull designs in production.

Slightly longer and wider than the Baja, 300 pounds heavier and powered by a 377-cu.-in. version of the same fuel-injected GM small-block V8, the Stingray feels like a much larger and more substantial craft. It's beautifully equipped throughout and includes a V-berth under the forward deck. At just $36,000, the 220SX is a bargain.

With its foot throttle, rumbling high-mount exhaust pipes and American flag paint treatment, this Velocity 220 has the ambience of a high-profile race boat. It's powered by a Mercruiser/GM 496-cu.-in. big-block V8. In our test, the Velocity reached 75 mph, but was noticeably sluggish in acceleration.

The 496 MAG MPI adds not only 55 hp, but $14,400 to the price of the same Velocity hull with a Mercruiser/GM MX 6.2 MPI small-block V8. By comparison, when we ordered a new Chevy Silverado HD2500 pickup truck, the price difference between a small-block V8 and this same 496 big-block V8 was $850.

Talon Marine's innovative catamaran hull is amazing. At 102 mph, we kept banging into the rev limiter because we thought we were literally going 50 mph slower and something was wrong with the engine. The Talon also cornered like a Corvette, perfectly flat and pulling g-loads no other type of hull can approach.

The Talon's supercharged engine costs $55,000, twice as much as the whole Baja 20 Outlaw and the trailer it rode in on. Obviously, a $120,000 handmade production racer is not something everyone can afford, but if you ever get the chance to drive--or ride in--a Talon catamaran, grab it. You'll never be satisfied with a conventional powerboat again.

Testing was conducted under clear weather conditions, temperature 70°, humidity 60 percent. Wind from the north-northwest at 5 mph. Water conditions: light chop. Our test course headings were north-northeast at 30° and south-southwest at 210°. Each boat made three runs in both directions (six runs total).